Bathing cap



June 9, 1942. I T. J. HO'WLAND v- 2 ,285,659

BATHING GAP Filed Jan. 25, 1940 ATTORNEYS I l 2 Z INVENTOR J [36 3/ I IPatented June 9, 1942 mass UNITED STATS A'EENT QEEICE BATHING CAP ThomasJ. Howland, Long Branch, N. J.

Application January 23, 1940, Serial No. 315,199

10. Claims.

This invention relates to water-proof articles of wearing apparel, suchas bathing caps, rubber boots, and the like, and is concerned moreparticularly with a novel article of this character which may be wornwith comfort and at the same time is extremely resistant to seepage offluid into the article. The article of my invention is of a simpleconstruction adapted for manufacture at low cost and includes a novelribbed structure which prevents the seepage of water into the articleunder the edges, even though the article is subjected to severe use.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSer. No. 222,127, filed July 30, 1938, which issued on July 2, 1940, asPatent No. 2,206,462. For illustrative purposes, the principles of theinvention will be described and illustrated in connection with a bathingcap, although it will be understood that the invention is not limited tothis use but is applicable to other articles of apparel as well.

In bathing caps as commonly made heretofore, there is a tendency forwater to seep into the interior of the cap between its bottom edge andthe head of the wearer, the amount of seepage depending on how tightlythe cap fits the head. It has been proposed to reduce the amount ofseepage by providing on the inside of the cap one or more encirclingribswhich extend around the cap near its lower edge so as to engage the headof the wearer. These ribs have taken various forms, but in nearly allinstances they extend straight inwardly from the cap body and theirfree, inner ends are flat, concave, or convex.

While ribs of this type serve to reduce the amount of seepage, they arenot entirely satisfactory for the reason that they have a, relativelygreat resistance to stretching and do not readily bend or incline so asto accommodate the size and the irregularities of the head, whereby theytend to impair the comfort of the wea'ren This is especially so when apair of parallel encircling ribs are employed which are braced by crossribs, since the latter add materially to the stiffness of the encirclingribs.

Another form of encircling rib employed heretofore is relatively thinand flexible and projects inwardly a substantial distance from the innersurface of the cap, so that when the cap is applied to the head of thewearer, the rib is forced toward a flat position against the innersurface of the cap, whereby only one side of the rib contacts the head.While caps employing an encircling rib of this form are generally morecomfortable than those having a stiffer rib, they do not prevent seepageof water into the cap during the normal use thereof.

One feature of the present invention, therefore, resides in theprovision of a novel bathing cap which overcomes these objections toprior capsand which is both comfortable and Water-proof to a highdegree. A cap made in accordance with my invention comprises a cap bodyof any desired form made of rubber, or the like, and having a pair ofribs inside of the cap which extend substantially parallel to the edgethereof and preferably encircle the cap. The ribs are flexible and mayextend straight inwardly from the cap body or at an oblique anglethereto, but in either case the ribs are supported on a single flexiblemounting connected to the inside of the cap body. This mounting supportsthe ribs in cantilever fashion, that is, in such a manner that when thehead of the wearer presses against them they are caused to swing awayfrom each other and toward the cap body. To this end, the ribs arepreferably disposed at opposite sides of the mounting with a clearancebetween the bodies of the ribs and the cap body into which the ribsswing when the cap is applied to the head. If desired, each rib may beprovided at its end with an initial skin contacting edge located on oneside of the center line of the rib so as to aid in controlling thedeflection of the rib.

With this construction, when the ribs are forced against the head of thewearer they swing or fulcrum away from each other on the flexiblemounting toward the cap body, and, as a result, air is forced out of thespace between the ribs so that a suction is created in this space whichacts to hold the ribs and their mounting more firmly against the headand prevent any seepage of water into the cap. Also, by reason of thisfulcruming action of the ribs and their inherent flexibility, theyprovide a cushioning action and readily adapt themselves to the contourof the head by deflecting more or less under the pressure exerted by thehead, whereby the cap is rendered more comfortable. However, the mainbody of each rib is sufliciently stifi to prevent the rib from upsettingcompletely and holds the deflected end of the rib firmly against thehead. Since the mounting for the ribs is flexible, it permits the cap toshift slightly on the head relative to the ribs without upsetting theribs from their deflected positions.

For better understanding of the invention reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a bathing capembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through part of the cap showing theribs and their mounting;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the ribs shown in Fig.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 2 showing modified forms ofthe construction, and

Fig. 7 is a front view of the rib shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l designates the body of a,bathing cap made of rubber, or the like, which may have any desiredform. As shown, the cap body is provided with ear portions II atopposite sides and a relatively low back l2. Inside the cap are twoflexible ribs l3 disposed near the lower edge of the cap and extendinggenerally parallel to the edge. Preferably, the ribs extend completelyaround the cap, although they may be omitted, if desired, from theregions of the cap where seepage does not generally occur. While thelower rib I3 is shown substantially flush with the edge of the cap bodyit will be understood that it may be disposed a substantial distanceupwardly from the edge.

The ribs I3, as illustrated, taper to relatively thin edges whichinitially contact the skin and embed themselves slightly therein whenthe cap is applied to the head. A flexible mounting [4 supports the ribsand is secured to the inner surface of the cap body. At its base themounting I4 is relatively broad, but it tapers to a relatively thinportion I adjacent the bases of the ribs. l5 so that they are supportedin cantilever fashion with a clearance between the main body of each riband the cap body. The sides of the ribs remote from the cap body curvegradually toward the mounting and merge so as to form a concave surface[6 defining a substantial re cess. Preferably, the ribs and the mountingl4 are in one piece and are made of sponge rubber or other soft materialcemented to the inside of the cap. If desired, the cap may be providedwith cross ribs l1 between the ribs I3 for bracing them and limitingtheir deflection.

When the cap is applied to the head of the wearer, the thin ends of theribs l3 are forced against the skin and are caused by the pressure toswing or fulcrum away from each other on the flexible mounting [4, Thisfuloruming action deflects the ribs into the spaces at the sides of themounting [4 adjacent the reduced portion 15 thereof, and, as a result,air is forced out of the cavit l5. Accordingly, a suction is created inthis cavity which acts to draw the ribs more tightly against the skinand thereby prevent seepage of water into the interior of the cap. Thethin edges of the ribs are bent slightly away from each other by thepressure against the skin, but they are prevented from completelyupsetting by the main body of the rib which is thioker and thereforestiffer. Each rib, therefore, is supported with its thin edge firmlyheld against the skin to prevent air or water from leaking into thecavity 5 and reducing the suction effect. It will be apparent that whenthe ribs fulcrum and bend as described, the inherent spring action inthe base [4 and the ribs tends to restore the parts to their normalpositions shown in Fig. 2, that is, to make the recess l6 between theribs more concave, and thus tends to preserve the suction effect in thisrecess. When the cap has been fitted to the head, the body I0 is adaptedThe ribs diverge from this narrow portion to shift slightly on the headwithout disturbing the ribs and reducing the suction in the recess l6,because the flexible mounting [4 permits movement of the cap bodyrelative to the ribs without substantial change in their position. Thisis a desirable feature since the cap when subjected to severe usefrequently shifts slightly from one position to another on the head.

A modified form of the construction is shown in Fig, 4, wherein each ofthe two ribs I8 is formed with an initial, skin contacting edge l9located on one side of the centerline of the rib.

The off-center edge [9 on the upper rib is disposed above the centerlineof the rib, while the off-center edge IQ of the lower rib is disposedbelow the centerline of the latter rib. Accordingly, these edges whenpressed against the skin act to deflect the end portions of the ribsaway from each other. Preferably, each rib formed on the side oppositeits off-center edge IS with a fin 20 terminating short of the edge 19and forming a recess in the end portion of the rib.

The ribs l8, as shown, are supported on a flexible mounting in the formof a band 2! secured along its lower 'edge to the cap body by a tab 22,the ribs being disposed along the opposite I side edges of the band. Theface of the band adjacent the cap body is convex so that the bandinitially engages the cap body onl along the median portion 23 of theband. The band 2| may be provided with a third rib 24 shorter than theother ribs and disposed between them, and the three ribs ma be braced bycross ribs 25 to form suction cups,

With this construction, the pressure of the cap on the head forces theconvex face of the band 2| against the adjacent inner surface of the capbody so that at first only the median portion 23 of the band engages thecap body, and the edge portions of the band near the ribs are spacedfrom the inner surface of the cap. How ever, the pressure on the ribscauses the parts of the band 2| above and below the median portion 23 tofulcrum around this median portion and engage the body of the cap. Thisfulcruming action causes the ribs l8 to swing away from each other andcreate a suction in the space between the ribs, as described inconnection with the form shown in Fig. 2. It will be apparent that thefulcruming of the ribs about the median portion 23 is supplemented bythe tendency for the off-center edges I9 to deflect the end portions ofthe ribs away from each other and further enlarge the space between theribs. However, the amount which the end portions of the ribs may bedeflected in this manner is limited by the stiffness of the main bodiesof the ribs and by the cross ribs 24. When the offcenter edges l9 arebent over by the pressure against the head, the fins 20 contact theskin, and air is forced out of the recess at the end of each rib betweenthe edge l9 and the fin 20 so that a further suction effect is obtainedat the ends of the ribs which supplements the suction in the largerspace between the ribs. By reason of the thin, off-center edges l9 andthe fulcruming action of the band 2| on its median portion 23, acushioning action is provided and the ribs more readily adapt themselvesto the contour of the wearers head so that the cap is more comfortable.Since the tab 22 permits the cap body In to move relative to the band2|, both transversely and longitudinally, the cap body may adjust itselfslightly on the. head without shifting the position of the ribs.

The construction shown in Fig. is similar to that shown in Fig. 4 exceptthat the tab 22' is eliminated and the band 2| is suspended along itsupper edge by a tab 26v secured to the cap body. With. thisconstruction, it is necessary to hold the lower edge of the band 2|.against the adjacent surface of the cap body when applying the cap tothe head, to prevent the band from buckling or swinging upwardly aroundthe tab 25.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the two ribs 28' aresimilar in form to the ribs is but are supported on a mounting 29 ofdifferent form. As shown, the mounting 29 is relatively narrow at thebase but its sides diverge sharply from the base so that the edgeportions 29' of the mounting are spaced from the cap body. The ribs 28are disposed along the opposite side edges of the mounting and arepreferably integral therewith. If desired, a third rib 30 shorter thanthe others may be arranged on the median portion of the mountingintermediate the ribs 28, and the ribs 28 and 30 may be braced by crossribs 3!. When the cap is applied to the head, the pressure of the headagainst the ends of the ribs 28 causes the overhanging edge portions 29'of the mounting to fulcrum about the median portion thereof so that theribs 28 swing away from each other and produce the desired suctioneffect. Also, the off-center edges 32 of the ribs act to bend the endportions of the ribs away from each other and thereby increase thesuction effect. When the off-center edges 32 bend, they permit the fins33 to contact the skin, and a suction is created in the small recessesbetween the fins and the adjacent off-center edges which holds the endportions of the ribs more firmly against the skin.

It will be observed that in each of the forms illustrated, a cashioningaction is provided inside the cap body along the edge thereof by reasonof the fulcruming of the ribs on the fiexible mounting and thedeflection of the relatively thin, initial skin-contacting edges of theribs. Since the mounting for the ribs is flexible as well. ascompressible, it not only provides a support for the ribs which permitstheir fulcruming but also enhances the cushioning action referred to.Also, in each of the forms the suction created in the space between theribs is maintained by the spring action of the ribs and their mountingwhich tends to return the parts to their initial form.

It will be understood that the cross ribs may be disposed in differentarrangements than those illustrated. For example, they may extend onlypartly across the space between the encircling ribs or, instead ofprojecting into this space, they may extend from the side of theencircling rib remote from the adjacent encircling rib.

In the foregoing description and in the following claims, the expressioncenterline of the rib is intended to denote an imaginary line bisectingthe outer end of the rib proper, that is, the end of the rib adjacentthe cap body, the line being perpendicular to the adjacent surface ofthe cap body or to the adjacent surface of the rib sup-porting band 2!secured to the cap body. The expression off center, as used in referenceto the initial skin-contacting edge of the rib, means that the edge isoflfset from the centerline on one side thereof.

I claim:

1. In an article of apparel comprising a hollow body having an openingtherein, a pair of elastic ribs inside the body extending generallyparallel to the. margin of the opening and projecting inwardly from thebody for sealing the edge portion thereof when the body is worn, and asingle flexible mounting for the ribs connected to the inside of thebody and having a relatively broad base, the mounting tapering from saidbase to the bases of the ribs, and the ribs diverging from the mountingand projecting outwardly over the sides thereof, the ribs at leastpartly defining a cavity between them and being operable under thepressure of an object against them to fulcrum away from each other onsaid mounting whereby air is expelled from the cavity and a suctioncreated therein.

2. In. an article of apparel comprising a hollow body having an openingtherein, a flexible band inside the body extending generally parallel tothe margin of the opening and secured to the body along only one sideedge of the band, the opposite side edge being free to move toward andaway from the adjacent surface of the body, and a pair of elastic ribson the band extending along the side edges thereof and projectinginwardly from the band for sealing the edge portion of the body when thebody is worn, said ribs and the band defining a cavity and the ribsbeing operable under the pressure of an object against them to fulcrumaway from each other on the band whereby air is expelled from the cavityand a suction created therein.

3. In an article of apparel comprising a hollow body having an openingtherein, a flexible band inside the body extending generally parallel tothe margin of the open-ing and secured to the body along only one sideedge of the band, the face of the band adjacent the body being convexwhereby the band initially engages the body along the median portion ofthe band, and a pair of elastic ribs on the band extending along theside edges thereof and projecting inwardly from the band for seal-ingthe edge portion of the body when the body is worn, said ribs and theband defining a cavity and the ribs being operable under the pressure ofan object against them to fulcrum away from each other on said medianportion of the band, whereby air is expelled from the band and a suctioncreated therein.

4. In a bathing cap comprising a hollow cap body having an openingtherein, a pair of elastic ribs inside the body extending generallyparallel to the margin of the opening and projecting inwardly from thebody for sealing the edge portion thereof when the cap is worn on thehead, and a single flexible mounting for the ribs on the inside of thebody and supporting the ribs with a clearance between the bodies of theribs and the cap body, whereby the ribs are disposed in cantileverfashion, the ribs at least partly defining a cavity between them andeach rib having an initial skin'contacting edge which is offcenter onthe side of the rib remote from the other rib, said off-center edgesbeing operable under the normal pressure of the head against them todeflect the ribs away from each other on said mounting whereby air isexpelled from the cavity and a suction created therein.

5. In a bathing cap comprising a hollow cap body having an openingtherein, a flexible band inside the body extending generally parallel tothe margin of the opening and secured to the body with the opposite sideportions of the band spaced from the body with a clearance and free tomove toward and away from the adjacent surface of the body, and a pairof elastic ribs on the band extending along the side portions thereofand projecting inwardly from the band for sealing the edge portion ofthe body when the cap is worn on the head, each rib terminating in athin, initial skin-contacting edge disposed on the side of thecenterline of the rib remote from the other rib and operable under thenormal pressure of the head to deflect the end portion of the rib awayfrom the other rib, the ribs and band defining a cavity and the ribsbeing movable away from each other on the band by the normal deflectionof said edges under pressure from the head, whereby air is expelled fromthe cavity and a suction created therein.

6. In a bathing cap comprising a hollow cap body having an openingtherein, a pair of elastic ribs inside the body extending generallyparallel to the margin of the opening and projecting inwardly from thebody for sealing the edge portion thereof when the cap is worn on thehead, a flexible and compressible mounting for the ribs on the body andsupporting the ribs with a space between them and with a clearancebetween the bodies of the ribs and the cap body, whereby the ribs aredisposed in cantilever fashion, each rib having an initialskin-contacting edge offset laterally from the mounting at the side ofthe mounting remote from the other rib, said offset edges being operableunder the normal pressure of the head against them to fulcrum the ribsaway from each other on the mounting whereby air is expelled from saidspace and a suction created therein, and cross ribs between said firstribs for bracing them and limiting the outward deflection thereof bythe. oifset edges.

7. In a bathing cap comprising a hollow cap body having an openingtherein, a flexible and compressible band inside the body extendinggenerally parallel to the margin of the opening and having a reducedportion connecting the band to the body, each side portion of the bandoverlying the body in spaced relation with a clearance for a substantialdistance from said reduced portion, and a pair of elastic ribs on theband extending along the side portions thereof in generally parallelrelation, the lower rib terminating at its free end in a thin, initialskin-contacting edge located on the lower side of the centerline of thelower rib, and the upper rib terminating at its free end in a thin,initial skin-contacting edge located on the upper side of thecenter-line of the upper rib, said oil-center edges being operable underthe normal pressure of the head to deflect the ribs away from each otheron the band and thereby create a suction in the space between the ribs.

8. In a bathing cap comprising a hollow cap body having an openingtherein, a flexible and compressible band inside the body extendinggenerally parallel to the margin of the opening and having a reducedportion connecting the band to the body, each side portion of the bandoverlying the body in spaced relation with a clearance for a substantialdistance from said reduced portion, and a pair of elastic ribs on theband extending along the side portions thereof in generally parallelrelation, the lower rib terminating at its free end in an initialskin-contacting edge offset from the reduced portion below the lowerside thereof, and the upper rib terminating at its free end in aninitial skin-contacting edge offset from the reduced portion above theupper side thereof, said offset edges being operable under the normalpressure of the head to deflect the ribs away from each other on theband and thereby create a suction in the space between the ribs.

9. In a bathing cap comprising a hollow body having an opening therein,a flexible band extending generally parallel to the margin of theopening and secured to the body, the side portions of the band beingmovable relative to the body, a pair of elastic ribs on the bandextending along the side portions thereof and projecting inwardly fromthe band for sealing the edge portion of the body when worn, the outerface of the band and the inner face of the cap body being relativelymovable and interengageable, and a protuberance on one of said faces andopposite the median portion of the band between the ribs, theprotuberance, when the band is pressed towards the cap, forming afulcrum about which the ribs swing away from each other on the band,whereby air is expelled from the spaces between the ribs and a suctioncreated therein.

10. In a bathing cap comprising a hollow body having an opening therein,a flexible band extending generally parallel to'the margin of theopening and secured along one edge portion to the body, the oppositeedge portion of the band being movable relative to the body, and anelastic rib on the band extending along said opposite edge portion andprojecting inwardly from the band for sealing the body when worn, theouter face of the band and the inner face of the cap body beingrelatively movable and interengageable, and a protuberance on one ofsaid faces and opposite the median portion of the band between the riband the edge portion of the band which is attached to the body, theprotuberance, when the band is pressed towards the cap, form ing afulcrum about which the rib swings away from the median portion of theband.

THOMAS J. HOWLAND.

